Narrative:

Fri evening, 5/89, flight abc was cleared from ord to mci via ord 8 departure. (SID specifies 5000', departure frequency 125.4). After takeoff ord tower directed a heading of 270 degrees, contact departure control. After changing to 125.4 and making radio contact, flight abc was instructed to contact departure control on frequency 127.4. The departure controller (or someone?) cleared flight abc to '17' thousand ft, whereupon the captain put 17000' in the aircraft altitude alert. Copilot confirmed 17000' with the captain and first officer, and started a climb from 5000 to 17000'. After passing through 7500', the departure controller asked us to verify assigned altitude. When we replied 17000', he indignantly asked, 'who gave you that clearance?' we replied, 'the previous controller.' then, a question-and-answer session resulted, with a clearance of 14000' finally issued. Problem: 'someone' issued flight abc a climb clearance from 5000 to 17000'. That clearance was read back to the person on frequency, 127.4, clearance was never denied, all 3 pilots confirmed that clearance within the cockpit before climb was initiated--then we were admonished verbally for following instructions! 'Someone' other than air traffic controller is issuing clrncs at ord! ('Ghost' air traffic controller has access to ATC frequencys.) supplemental information from acn 112354: copilot was flying the aircraft and I was handling the radios. Tower gave us heading of 270 degrees and cleared us to 5000'. I checked in with departure control and reported climbing to 5000'. The controller acknowledged and shortly thereafter a different voice cleared us to continue climbing to 17000'. I remember thinking his terminology was non standard, but I read the clearance back as issued, and set 17000' in the altitude window. The F/east said later he understood the clearance was to 17000', and saw me set in in the window. As we climbed through 14000' a different voice (higher) asked who cleared us through 14000'. I replied 'the last frequency,' and he said, 'ground control or tower?' I looked down at the radios and realized we were still on departure control. The difference in voices had thrown me for a minute. I told him someone on his frequency had cleared us to 17000'. There was no extraneous conversation in the cockpit; we were attentive to what was going on, just a little tired from a long day. I am aware that 'ghost xmissions' have occurred in the past and I'm wondering if our incident may be another instance of the same problem. The controller gave us a turn to the right of 30 degrees and cleared us to continue the climb to 17000'. I called ord tower the next morning and spoke with the supervisor and also reported the incident to my union safety rep.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION. FLT CREW CERTAIN OF CLRNC RECEIPT. TRACON DENIES ISSUANCE.

Narrative: FRI EVENING, 5/89, FLT ABC WAS CLRED FROM ORD TO MCI VIA ORD 8 DEP. (SID SPECIFIES 5000', DEP FREQ 125.4). AFTER TKOF ORD TWR DIRECTED A HDG OF 270 DEGS, CONTACT DEP CTL. AFTER CHANGING TO 125.4 AND MAKING RADIO CONTACT, FLT ABC WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP CTL ON FREQ 127.4. THE DEP CTLR (OR SOMEONE?) CLRED FLT ABC TO '17' THOUSAND FT, WHEREUPON THE CAPT PUT 17000' IN THE ACFT ALT ALERT. COPLT CONFIRMED 17000' WITH THE CAPT AND F/O, AND STARTED A CLB FROM 5000 TO 17000'. AFTER PASSING THROUGH 7500', THE DEP CTLR ASKED US TO VERIFY ASSIGNED ALT. WHEN WE REPLIED 17000', HE INDIGNANTLY ASKED, 'WHO GAVE YOU THAT CLRNC?' WE REPLIED, 'THE PREVIOUS CTLR.' THEN, A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION RESULTED, WITH A CLRNC OF 14000' FINALLY ISSUED. PROB: 'SOMEONE' ISSUED FLT ABC A CLB CLRNC FROM 5000 TO 17000'. THAT CLRNC WAS READ BACK TO THE PERSON ON FREQ, 127.4, CLRNC WAS NEVER DENIED, ALL 3 PLTS CONFIRMED THAT CLRNC WITHIN THE COCKPIT BEFORE CLB WAS INITIATED--THEN WE WERE ADMONISHED VERBALLY FOR FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS! 'SOMEONE' OTHER THAN AIR TFC CTLR IS ISSUING CLRNCS AT ORD! ('GHOST' AIR TFC CTLR HAS ACCESS TO ATC FREQS.) SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 112354: COPLT WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND I WAS HANDLING THE RADIOS. TWR GAVE US HDG OF 270 DEGS AND CLRED US TO 5000'. I CHKED IN WITH DEP CTL AND RPTED CLBING TO 5000'. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER A DIFFERENT VOICE CLRED US TO CONTINUE CLBING TO 17000'. I REMEMBER THINKING HIS TERMINOLOGY WAS NON STANDARD, BUT I READ THE CLRNC BACK AS ISSUED, AND SET 17000' IN THE ALT WINDOW. THE F/E SAID LATER HE UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC WAS TO 17000', AND SAW ME SET IN IN THE WINDOW. AS WE CLBED THROUGH 14000' A DIFFERENT VOICE (HIGHER) ASKED WHO CLRED US THROUGH 14000'. I REPLIED 'THE LAST FREQ,' AND HE SAID, 'GND CTL OR TWR?' I LOOKED DOWN AT THE RADIOS AND REALIZED WE WERE STILL ON DEP CTL. THE DIFFERENCE IN VOICES HAD THROWN ME FOR A MINUTE. I TOLD HIM SOMEONE ON HIS FREQ HAD CLRED US TO 17000'. THERE WAS NO EXTRANEOUS CONVERSATION IN THE COCKPIT; WE WERE ATTENTIVE TO WHAT WAS GOING ON, JUST A LITTLE TIRED FROM A LONG DAY. I AM AWARE THAT 'GHOST XMISSIONS' HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PAST AND I'M WONDERING IF OUR INCIDENT MAY BE ANOTHER INSTANCE OF THE SAME PROB. THE CTLR GAVE US A TURN TO THE RIGHT OF 30 DEGS AND CLRED US TO CONTINUE THE CLB TO 17000'. I CALLED ORD TWR THE NEXT MORNING AND SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR AND ALSO RPTED THE INCIDENT TO MY UNION SAFETY REP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.